Hey guys, I'm currently on a bike packing trip across Japan and I've always noticed that my rear tire has been closer to the left side of the frame than the right and then now it is starting hit the frame and rub on it. See pics attached. I'm wondering what causes this and how do I go about fixing it? The dropouts sit on top of the axle, so can’t move it to adjust.
by kylepg_45
7 Comments
Looks like the frame has shrunk, did you leave it out in the rain?
Tire too big for frame and/or wheel out of true/dish.
How is the tire secured? Thru axle, quick release? Is it mounted correctly in the rear dropout? Is the back brake working?
just pump less air,
Did you crash or otherwise distort the frame ? May have happened during your flight there. Since it has always been there, a slight dish adjustment by loosening a spoke quarter of a turn, next tightening by quarter of a turn. Loose next, tight next. Repeat until entire wheel done. This will give you a general idea of how much to turn, if quarter turn is too much, or not enough.
Too wide a tire. If the axle sits perfectly in the dropout (which often times is not the case), there could be a slightly untrue wheel (does it look like this all the way when you spin the wheel?) or a slightly bent rear frame.
In you case, however, the tires are too wide anyway. You wouldn’t get them to not touch the stays – in curves the frame will bent veeery slightly, and with a scoop of mud on the tire it will totally rub on the stays. And with a narrower tire, any of the above issues (untrue wheel or bad sitting in dropout, bent rear) won’t matter because it’s really only a tad…
Get the wheel trued